Review and Herald, Vol. 26, No. 4. (6/27/1865)

Review and Herald

Jun 27, 1865

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 27, 1865

Sanctification: or Living Holiness.

By D. T. Bourdeau

BY ELD. D. T. BOURDEAU.

(Continued.)

THE POSSIBILITY OF OVERCOMING.

SELF-examination, if properly attended to, enables us to see our characters in their true light, and brings to our view defects in us that we had not previously seen; and it is when we are impressed with a sense of our leanness and the magnitude of our sins, that the question naturally arises, Is it possible to overcome and attain to holiness? God be praised that this question can be answered in the affirmative; that such frail and imperfect creatures as ourselves can overcome the corruptions and imperfections of our fallen natures, and become holy in this present state. Our reasons for believing in the possibility of overcoming and attaining to holiness are briefly as follows:

1. God commands us to be holy. But God is too good, wise, and just a being, to command us to do any thing that we cannot by his grace perform. Therefore we can by the grace of God become holy.

2. Christ and Paul prayed for the sanctification of the church and encouraged men to seek after holiness; and so with other good persons spoken of in the Scriptures. Now it would be inconsistent to believe that Christ and Paul and other good persons whose course was approved by God, should pray for that which cannot be done, and teach accordingly. Therefore the sanctification of men is possible.

3. Blessings are held out by the Lord as a reward for overcoming. But to say that men cannot overcome would represent the Lord as trifling with, deceiving, and imposing upon, mankind, by promising them a reward for doing that which they cannot do, and thus impeach the veracity and justice of God; or, it would make it appear that God did not really know what could be done for man, and made a mistake in promising certain blessings to the overcomer, thus limiting God, and derogating from his power, knowledge, and wisdom. But the Almighty is not such a God as this position would represent. Hence, we believe that we may overcome.

4. The whole tenor of the Scriptures, and plan of salvation shows that we can become holy. It was to this end that the plan of salvation was instituted, that the Scriptures were given by inspiration, that Christ died and rose again, and ascended on high to intercede for our fallen race, that the Holy Spirit is sent as a teacher, guide, and comforter, to impart light, comfort and strength, that the unfallen angels are ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation, that God's people are tried and corrected, &c. And shall we limit God's plan and all the means which he employs in carrying it out? Shall we conclude that the Scriptures were given in vain? that Christ's death and intercessions, the ministration of the Spirit and good angels, &c., are all inadequate for the great object for which they were intended? In other words, did the great Jehovah, Jesus, and good angels, all make a blunder when the plan of salvation was laid? Did Jesus conclude to leave the realms of glory, die an ignominious death, and plead the merits of his blood without first ascertaining what his death and intercessions could accomplish? And did the angels err in deciding to help in carrying out a plan that cannot accomplish the object for which it was devised? Would it not be more reasonable to believe that the plan of salvation is perfect? that the helps that God has devised are adapted to carry it out and that men can be sanctified?

5. That it is possible to overcome fully and be wholly sanctified, is abundantly proved by those scriptures which exhort men to perfect holiness, to follow the example of Christ, to be followers of God, to be perfect as our Father who is in Heaven is perfect, and by the fact that a perfect standard of holiness is given us to work by. If we could not be perfect overcomers, would it be made incumbent upon us to follow the example of him who did no sin, and to work by a perfect standard of holiness?

6. But the last church will, as we have seen, need a special preparation to meet the Lord at his coming. They will need to be wholly sanctified, not only because of the additional truths which will be brought to light, and be made in a special manner obligatory upon them, but also because they will have to pass through the time of trouble without a mediator between God and them. This time of trouble is when Michael or Christ shall stand up, the great Prince that standeth up for the children of thy people. Dan. xii, 1, and when the unmixed wrath of God, which is identical with the seven last plagues, Rev. xiv, 9-14; xv, 1; xvi, and which is to follow the proclamation of the third angel's message, will fall upon the shelterless heads of the enemies of God's truth and people. When this time of trouble comes, there can be no Mediator between God and man; for the unmixed wrath of God cannot be poured out till mercy closes; and when mercy closes, Christ's mediatorial work will cease, and from that time onward there can be no pardon and no change in the characters of men. Then will the following solemn and everlasting decree pass in the courts of Heaven, and the effects of it be realized both by the just and the unjust on earth: "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And behold I come quickly." Rev. xxii, 11, 12. Then also will be fulfilled Isa. lix, 16: "And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor."

From certain texts of Scripture we see that the time of trouble and the wrath of God will last one year. The first text which we will notice refers to Babylon and reads, "Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, mourning, and famine." Rev. xviii, 8. Famine could not come on Babylon in one literal day; therefore the day spoken of in this text is symbolic or prophetic. According to the year-day principle, which is established by the Scriptures of truth, Eze. iv, 5, 6; Num. xiv, 34, and which is the correct principle by which to interpret prophetic time, one day means one year. The way having been previously prepared, famine could be experienced in one year.

It may be objected to this interpretation that the word hour is also applied to Babylon's judgment in verses 10, 17, and 19, and that if we are to apply our plan of interpretation throughout the whole subject, there will be a palpable contradiction. To which we answer, that if it was the Lord that spoke in both instances, there might be some force to this objection. But the plausibility of this objection disappears when we take into consideration the idea that in our proof text a "voice from Heaven" speaks, and foretells that Babylon's plagues shall come in one day, while in verses 10, 17, and 19, it is the men of earth that speak while Babylon is receiving her plagues, using the word hour not in a prophetic light,—but as a matter of fact, to denote how suddenly her plagues have come upon her, her riches have come to nought,—and she is made desolate.

Isaiah while dwelling on the time when the indignation of the Lord will be upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies; when he shall utterly destroy them, and their slain shall be cast out,—and their stink shall come out of their carcasses, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood, says, "for it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion." Isa. xxiv, 8. Here the nouns day and year are put in by apposition, the noun year being explanatory of the noun day, and establishing our proposition beyond the possibility of successful contradiction. Isa. lxiii, 4 is also explicit: "For the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come."

The Lord will come at the close of the time of trouble; for under the sixth plague he says, "Behold I come as a thief." It is also under this plague that the spirits of devils, working miracles, go to the kings of the earth and to the whole world to gather them to the battle of the great day, in which Christ will take a part at his coming. Rev. xvi, 14, 15; xix, 11-21; 2 Thess. ii, 8; Joel iii, 9-13. The Lord must come under the seventh plague; for it is under this plague that the islands and mountains are moved out of their places, and that men cry to the rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide them from the face of the Lamb. Compare Rev. xvi, 20; vi, 14-17.

Therefore the last church will be one year on the earth without an intercessor, while the plagues are falling. Read Ps. xci. If therefore the church should come to the time of trouble with the least stain upon their characters, they could not be saved; for there will then be no more pardon, and the destinies of all will be unalterably and everlastingly fixed. But the Scriptures teach that some will be alive on the earth and will be saved when Christ comes; 1 Thess. iv, 15-17; Heb. ix, 28; Isa. xxvi, 9; and we are shut up to the conclusion that these will have developed perfect characters previous to the time of trouble. But

2. We have Bible testimony showing that the last church will be holy. Says Isaiah, "And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living (or to life, margin) in Jerusalem: When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning." Isa. iv, 3, 4.

We need not stop to prove that Zion and Jerusalem in the prophecies of the Old Testament are sometimes symbolic, referring to the Church under this dispensation. This point can be readily seen by those who will take pains to acquaint themselves with the many prophecies that prove it. Read chaps. ii, and iii; Joel ii, 1, 15; Zeph. i, 12-18, etc. In the previous chapter we are evidently brought to the day of preparation, when the professed church is fast filling up the cup of her iniquity; and the Lord is about to enter into judgment with the ancients of his people and the princes thereof, because of their sins; and it is to be well with the righteous but ill with the wicked; and "Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war. And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground. In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent for them, that are escaped of Israel." Then follows our text: "And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy."

They will not be called holy by those who oppose them, unless it is by way of reproach, and the language of this prophecy is not reproachful. Neither will they call themselves holy; for those who are the farthest advanced in holiness are the last ones that will boast of it. Then it must be the Lord that pronounces them holy—the One that pronounces the branch of the Lord beautiful and glorious—the One that washes away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purges the blood of Jerusalem by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning; and if the Lord pronounces them holy, they will be holy indeed.

Zeph. iii, 13; is also to the point. It furnishes us with the bold prediction that, "the remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity." Let none try to evade the force of this declaration by applying it to ancient Israel; for it never could be said of ancient Israel at any period subsequent to the time when this prophecy was given that they did no iniquity. Again, it is seen by the connection, that this prophecy is to be fulfilled at the close of the gospel age; see chaps. i, and ii, in which the middle wall of partition between the Jews and Gentiles is broken down, and he is not a Jew which is one outwardly, but he is a Jew which is one inwardly, and they are not all Israel, which are of Israel. Consequently this prophecy does not apply to those who are Jews outwardly or to the literal descendants of Israel as such, but to those who are Jews inwardly and Israelites in the gospel sense—Israelites indeed, whether they can trace back their lineage to Israel or not; to those who have by faith been grafted into the tame olive tree, the Abrahamic stock, from which many of_{sic} the literal Jews have been cut off through unbelief; to the remnant or last end of the Christian church. Eph. ii, 11-22; Rom. ii, 28, 29; ix, 6; xi, 17-21; Gal. iii, 7, 16, 29; Jno. i, 47.

The above prophecies and other prophecies of the same import, not only prove that it is possible to overcome, but that the remnant church will really and actually overcome, that they will heed the many scriptures which make it obligatory for the church living in the last end of time to develop holy characters, that they may be found of the Lord without spot and blameless at his coming.

Yes, we may fully overcome and be wholly sanctified. "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." 1 Thess. v, 24. He will sanctify you wholly, and preserve you blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will finish it until the day of Christ." Phil. i, 6. God is faithful to accomplish that which he has promised, and supply our needs in sanctification. Do we need truth, present truth? This he gives under the proclamation of the last message of mercy. Do we need the Spirit's aid? He is more willing to give the Spirit to them that ask, than earthly parents are to give good gifts to their children. Are the gifts of the Spirit needed "for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, into a perfect man, into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ?" Eph. iv, 11-16. God himself has set these gifts in the church, 1 Cor. xii, 28, and vouchsafes them to those that believe, through the general commission of his Son to which all professing Christians fall back for authority to preach the gospel, believe and be baptized, Mark xvi, 17-20, and through the writings of the apostles and prophets. See works on Spiritual Gifts and Miraculous Powers, ably and clearly defending the truth on this subject. Do we need trials and afflictions to purify us? We shall find enough of these, and such as are of the right kind to sanctify us, in endeavoring to live out the truth. And, "as many as I love," says Jesus, "I rebuke and chasten." Rev. iii, 19.

But when inspiration says that God will sanctify us, it is understood that there are conditions for us to fulfill. Though we can no more attain to holiness in our own strength and wisdom than we can stop the sun in his course, yet the Lord cannot sanctify us and do what he has promised, unless we do what we can to help ourselves, by taking hold of his help and moving out as far as our strength goes, as we would in temporal things. Hence sanctification is held out in a two-fold light in the Scriptures; first, as a work wrought in us by God; and second, as a duty for us to perform. Hence while we are apprized that it is God who worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure, that without Christ we can do nothing, &c., we are also commanded to repent, believe, and be baptized, to keep God's commandments, to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, &c.

It is with us in overcoming as with feeble children that are required by their parents to perform a certain task. They are encouraged to perform their work, and are promised help and a reward. They move out on the word and promise of their parents, doing what they can, and looking to their parents for help. Their parents cheerfully lend them their aid, smiling upon and approving their course, rewarding them, and still promising them their aid and a greater compensation.

The correctness of this position is further seen by considering that all the Christian graces are acquired and perfected by practice; and the saying that "practice makes perfect," will apply here as well as in temporal things. If we would have faith we must exercise faith; if we would have knowledge we must dig for it; if we would have temperance we must cultivate temperate habits; if we would have patience we must cultivate and exercise patience; if we would possess humility we must humble our own souls by practice; if we would possess the crowning grace of love, we must cherish love as a virtue, and cause it to take root and grow in our hearts by cultivation and practice; and so with the rest of the Christian graces. The Christian graces are not bestowed upon us without our co-operation, and without our knowing anything about it. They are wrought in us and by us, through the grace and strength of God. God does not work for us to uphold us in idleness; but he works for us by helping us to work for ourselves.

We should be co-workers with God. God promises us his aid; but we must ask, believe, and live for it. If we ask, the promise is that we shall receive. Again, "If we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us," 1 John iv, 14, and we know that it is the will of God that we should be sanctified. Here we can ask expecting to receive, if we do what we can to live according to our prayers. And "all things are possible to him that believeth." Mark ix, 25. By living faith we can overcome. Think of what faith has done in the past. Faith is always attended with success, while unbelief is attended with failure. Faith raises the mind upward, magnifies the promises of God, and brings light, courage, and strength to the soul. Unbelief drags the mind to the dust, contracts the promises of God, shuts God and Christ, and all the helps they afford, from our view, and brings darkness, weakness, and spiritual death to the soul.

The helps that God provides in this work may be compared to a mighty machinery, which when set in motion by a slight action, commands mighty power, and accomplishes a great work. If we will but throw ourselves on the means of grace, and work in harmony therewith, they will command Omnipotence, and will, with our feeble co-operation, accomplish a mighty work for us, even our sanctification.

We should not suffer our sins to weigh us down. Christ died for our sins, and says, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matt. xi, 28. Cast your burdens on him, and he will sustain you. He is willing to forgive your sins, bear your burdens, and heal your wounds. For this he died. Believe it. The Lord does not want you to be always shut up to your weakness, and to the wounds that sin has made. This would weaken you. Examine your wounds sufficiently to know their nature, and to know the sins that have caused them, to guard against them hereafter; then flee to the healing fountain, to the blood that cleanses from all sin, and heals our wounds. Precious fountain! precious blood! precious, loving Saviour! He invites you, and wishes to make you free. "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." Rom. viii, 15. Keep near the bleeding side of Jesus. Draw sap and nourishment from the living vine, and you will flourish and glorify the Father by bearing much fruit, which will be the best evidence that you are overcoming.

If we would be successful in overcoming we must not work at random, but take right hold of those sins by which we are most likely to be overcome, considering them as our most dangerous enemies, and not give up the battle till we obtain the victory. Our inward foes are the worst foes that we have. If we overcome these, we can more easily keep our outward foes at bay; for they will have no sympathizers in the citadel of our hearts, to divide our strength, work against us, and overcome us.

As we commence the work of overcoming, we have unsanctified habits to contend with; but by a change of practice, these habits are changed into sanctified habits, which serve as helps in living holiness.

In overcoming we frequently meet with darkness produced by ill health, trials, the powers of darkness, &c., which may for the time being obscure the mind and eclipse the clearness, strength, harmony, and beauty of the truth, and the reality of the work from our view. At such times we should not give way to discouragement, and hastily conclude that there is no reality to the truth and to the work in which we are engaged. As well might we conclude that surrounding objects do not exist because we do not see them in a dark night, as to conclude that

we have not got the truth, and that there is nothing to sanctification, when the truth and sanctification are only shut from our view by such causes.

A knowledge of our physical and mental capacities and deficiencies is also requisite and highly useful in overcoming. Owing to various causes, among which the violation of the laws of our being, and the different practices and educations of men stand prominent, men have physical and mental defects, which could not have entered into the organization of man as he came out of the hands of his wise and bountiful Creator; and there is a difference in the capacities of different individuals. The reader only needs to fall back on his own observation to see that men generally are not as healthy and strong as they once were; that some individuals are stronger physically than others; that some have comparatively strong and well-balanced minds, while others have not as strong and well-balanced minds; that in the mind of one individual certain faculties are predominant, and inclined to have the ascendancy, while in the mind of another individual other faculties are predominant; that the mind of one person is deficient in some particulars, while the mind of another person is deficient in other particulars; that one cast of mind is better adapted to a certain vocation, while another cast of mind is better adapted to another vocation.

Now sanctification requires that we use all our strength and powers to the best possible advantage in promoting the glory of God by advancing the interests of his cause. But we cannot do this without a knowledge of our natural capacities and defects. Without this knowledge we might mistake our calling and duty, and come short of accomplishing what we should to be useful in the world. We might get out of our place by adopting a calling the duties of which we have not the abilities to perform, or by adopting a vocation in which our capacities will not be all called into exercise. For a want of this knowledge many have brought reproach upon the cause, and discouragement to their own souls, and have failed to advance in the Christian course. We should know our physical and mental lacks, that we may move with reference to them, and guard against the errors and mistakes that they may lead us into.

If we would overcome we must be zealous in the work. "Be zealous, therefore, and repent," is the injunction of Jesus to the Laodiceans. When we see our sins by self-examination, we should first be zealous in repenting of the same. We should also be zealous in applying the helps that God affords. But our zeal should not be fanatical or presumptuous, but according to knowledge, according to the present truth, the time in which we live, the shortness of time, and the vastness of the work that is before us. We have a great work to do and a short time to do it in, and have mighty foes to oppose us at every step; therefore we need zeal, and all our energies and powers should be strung to action. Says Christ, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." Luke xiii, 24. Some have rendered the original word from which the word strive is translated, agonize; but perhaps no one word alone can convey the full sense of the original. It is used to represent the efforts put forth in fighting, and the exertions that were made anciently by combatants in the public games, John xviii, 36; 1 Cor. ix, 25, &c., and must signify to bring into requisition all the powers and energies both of body and mind. This we must do to enter in at the strait gate; i. e., to overcome.

Men of this world manifest zeal in temporal things, and shall we lack zeal in eternal things? Christ was zealous; Paul was zealous; and all those who have made proficiency in holiness, and have been useful in the world, have had zeal; and it will require zeal and strength to overcome in these last days of peril; and to get zeal and strength we must act and be in earnest. If we manifest as much zeal and earnestness in overcoming as the men of this world do in their worldly pursuits, we shall not fail to overcome and perfect holiness. As our day is, so shall our strength be. God will not leave nor forsake us, but will meet us in the work and bid and help us go forward. He will take us as it were by the hand, and we shall go from strength to strength, conquering and to conquer. And if in anything we be otherwise minded, he will reveal even this unto us. And "if God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Rom. viii, 31, 32. He will help us to be more than conquerors in all things, and over sin and all our foes, through him that hath loved us; and in holy triumph and joy we shall be enabled to gratefully exclaim, Blessed be God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

(To be continued.)

Trust in God, and Do the Right.

Courage, brother! do not stumble, Though the path be dark as night; There's a star to guide the humble— Trust in God, and do the right.

Let the road be long and dreary, And its ending out of sight; Foot it bravely—strong or weary, Trust in God, and do the right.

Perish policy and cunning, Perish all that fears the light; Whether losing, whether winning, Trust in God, and do the right.

Trust no party, trust no faction, Trust no leaders in the fight; But in every word and action, Trust in God, and do the right.

Trust no forms of guilty passion, Fiends can look like angels bright; Trust no custom, school, or fashion, Trust in God, and do the right.

Some will hate thee, few will love thee, Some will flatter, some will slight; Turn from man, and look above thee, Trust in God, and do the right.

Simple rule and safest guiding, Inward peace and inward light; Star upon thy path abiding, Trust in God, and do the right.

Rules for Public Speakers.

By John Wesley. A. M.

The chief faults of speaking are, the speaking too loud; this is disagreeable to the hearers, as well as inconvenient to the speaker: for they must impute it either to ignorance or affectation, which is never so inexcusable as in preaching. Every man's voice should, indeed, fill the place where he speaks; but if it exceeds its natural key, it will neither be sweet, nor soft, nor agreeable; were it only on this account, that he cannot give every word its proper and distinguishing sound. *

The speaking too fast is a common fault, but not a little one, particularly when we speak of the things of God. It may be cured by habituating yourself to attend to the weight, the sense, and propriety of every word you speak. *

Remember, never either to raise, or sink your voice without a particular reason, arising either from the length of the period, or the sense or spirit of what you speak. But the greatest and most common fault of all, is, speaking with a tone; some have a womanish, squeaking tone; some a singing, a canting tone; some a high, swelling, theatrical tone, laying too much emphasis on every sentence; some have an awful, solemn tone; others an odd, whimsical, whining tone, not to be expressed in words.

To avoid all kinds of unnatural tones, the only rule is this: Endeavor to speak in public just as you do in common conversation. *

If you would be heard with pleasure, in order to make a deeper impression on your hearers, study to render your voice as soft and sweet as possible. Labor to avoid the odious custom of coughing and spitting* while you are speaking.

The voice may be raised three ways: first, as to height or lowness; secondly, as to vehemence or softness; thirdly, as to swiftness or slowness. You must neither strain your voice by raising it always to the highest note it can reach, nor sink it always to the lowest note. As to vehemence, have a care how you force your voice to the last extremity: you cannot hold this long without danger of its cracking, and failing you on a sudden. It is a fault to draw out your words too slow, or make needless breaks or pauses; nay, to drawll is, of the two, worse than to hurry. The speech ought not to drop, but to flow along; but, then, it ought to flow like a gliding stream, not as a rapid current.

As to the motions of the body, it ought not to change its place or posture every moment; neither, on the other hand, to stand like a stock, in one fixed and immovable position: but to move in a natural and graceful manner, as various circumstances require. Never clap your hands, nor thump the pulpit, nor keep your hands in perpetual motion; this the ancients called "babbling of the hands."—John Wesley. A. M.

How Much did You Take?

By Secretary

"Haven't we had a fine sermon?" said a lady to another in our hearing, while passing out with the congregation at the close of a recent Sabbath service.

"Yes," replied the other, "I think we have—how much of it did you take?"

The sermon was really a good one, upon the duty and blessedness of self-sacrifice in behalf of others. The argument was well put, the diction was almost unexceptionable, and there were passages in the discourse of genuine eloquence. But the lady who so warmly praised it was fashionably dressed, accustomed to live quite at her ease, and so far as we could learn, not particularly given to sacrificing her substance or her convenience for the benefit of anybody else. Yet she was captivated with the sermon—it was a "fine" one, she thought. She had been interested; she had been entertained; perhaps she would have said she had been edified; but while we remained within hearing, she had not framed a reply to the question, "How much did you take of it?" We do not know that she replied at all.—Secretary.

Showing Him a Miracle.

EARNEST RENAN having said, in his "Life of Jesus," that the proper way of proving the reality of a miracle is to show one, a pamphleteer "shows" him one in a letter "Upon the Establishment of the Christian Religion," which we here translate.

SIR:—Permit me to-day to draw your attention again to the establishment of the Christian religion, a fact upon which we naturally differ in opinion. Like you, when I have striven to identify its cause with the mere forces of man, I have failed in my endeavor. The supernatural then has been the only conducting thread which has helped me to escape from the labyrinth where I see you continually seeking to rectify yourself without ever doing it, and condemned to escape therefrom only when you shall have proved that there is nothing miraculous in the establishment of Christianity. Pardon this little digression; I go straight to the work. There is a religion, called the Christian, whose founder was Jesus, named the Christ. This religion, which has lasted eighteen centuries, and which calls itself the natural development of that Judaism which ascends near to the cradle of the world, had the apostles for its first propagators. When these men wished to establish it, they had for adversaries: The national pride of the Jews; The implacable hatred of the Sanhedrim; The brutal despotism of the Roman Emperors; The raileries and attacks of the philosophers; The libertinism and caste-spirit of the pagan priest; The savage and cruel ignorance of the masses; The fagots and bloody games of the circus.

They had an enemy in Every miser; Every debauched man; Every drunkard; Every thief; Every murderer; Every proud man; Every slanderer; Every liar.

Not one of the vices, in fact, which abuse our poor humanity, which did not constitute itself their adversary.

To combat so many enemies and surmount so many obstacles they had only Their ignorance; Their poverty; Their obscurity; Their weakness; Their fewness; The Cross.

If you had been their cotemporary at the moment when they began their work, and Peter had said to you: "Join with us, for we are going to the conquest of the world; before our word, pagan temples shall crumble, and their idols shall fall upon their faces; the philosophers shall be convicted of folly; from the throne of Cæsar we shall hurl the Roman eagle, and in its place we shall plant the Cross; we shall be the teachers of the world; the ignorant and the learned will declare themselves our disciples!" Hearing him speak thus, you would have said: "Be silent, imbecile." And as you are tolerant from nature and principle, you would have defended him before the Sanhedrim, and have counseled it to shut up the fisherman of Bethsaida and his companions in a madhouse. And yet, sir, what you would have thought a notable madness, is to-day a startling reality with which I leave you face to face.

Spectacles for Others' Faults

MEN are fonder of using spectacles to behold other people's faults than looking-glasses to survey their own.

Western Tour.

By James White

THE church at Hundred Mile Grove, Wis., have completed—except painting the inside—a neat house of worship, of respectable dimensions, and have seated it with comfortable settees. It presents a wide contrast with the cheapness of the house of worship of the numerous church at Battle Creek, with its plain, rickety, board seats. These scattered brethren, who are farmers, are flourishing, and are able to do what most of our eastern brethren cannot do. We were glad to see their enterprise in the direction of building a respectable house for the Lord. We think the Lord's house in that church cost more than the dwelling of any one of the members of the Lord's church in that place.

We do not like to see the Lord's house look meaner and cheaper than those of the wealthiest of the brethren. One might get the idea, on entering some places of worship, that the Lord must be exceedingly poor in the hearts of his people in that locality. The brethren have rather fine looking dwellings, but the place where the great God is worshiped is some old-fashioned kitchen, shop, cheap hall, or little cheap meeting-house. We would not recommend our people to build houses to gratify pride and show; but we give it as our humble opinion that in a church of members and wealth, the Lord's house should cost more than that of any one member of the church.

Sabbath morning, June 17, the house of worship at Hundred Mile Grove was well filled. Bro. Loughborough spoke to the brethren with his usual freedom. We spoke in the afternoon, and Bro. Ingraham spoke in the evening on the nature and ministration of angels. At the close of his discourse we made some remarks on the same subject, and while speaking of the last triumphant gathering of the elect from the four winds by the angels of God, at the time of the last trump and the resurrection of the just, the Holy Spirit came upon us in such measure as to cut off our remarks, and we gave some faint expression of the joys of an overflowing cup, in shouts of praise to God and the Lamb.

Elders Ingraham and Loughborough spoke twice on Sunday with much freedom, and Mrs. W. did not fail to water others, while she drank largely in addressing the congregation, of the fountain of salvation. On the whole, this was a very excellent meeting. The brethren gave us $20 s. B. funds, and with cheerful hearts and ready hands, helped us on our way—with teams for ourselves and baggage—to Madison, where, on Monday the 19th, we took the cars for Freeport, Ill. Here we found Bro. Newton with easy carriage to take us to his hospitable home at Crane's Grove.

With the tried friends in this place we spent three days, and held one excellent meeting. They spared no pains to make us happy, and revive our weary and worn natures with plain, healthful food. Refreshed in body, soul, and spirit, we parted with the friends at Crane's Grove this morning, the 22d, and came to this place (La Salle) on our way to the Princeville meeting. But as the cars do not connect, we are obliged to stay over till four in the morning in a western rumselling hotel. J. W.

Ministerial Council.

On sixth-day June 16th, 1865, a council of ministers was held at the house of worship, at Hundred Mile Grove, Wisconsin, to investigate matters held in doubt in the course of Bro. L. G. Bostwick, who had received from the Wisconsin and Illinois Conference a letter of recommendation to labor in new fields.

Elders White and Loughborough of the General Conference Committee, and Elders Ingraham and Sanborn of the Wisconsin and Illinois State Conference Committee, were present.

After a careful examination of Bro. Bostwick's matters and present condition—he being present to speak for himself—and time for prayerful consideration, the council came to the following conclusions, without a dissenting voice in any one particular.

1. That Bro. L. G. Bostwick has erred in involving himself in debt in taking property upon his hands for which he is still owing; that he should as soon as possible close up his financial matters, and free himself from existing debts.

2. That in view of his debts, and the fact that the brethren were making strong and persevering efforts to raise $300, which had been paid as commutation money when he was drafted, Bro. L. G. Bostwick greatly erred in incurring the expense of his attending the recent General Conference at Battle Creek, Michigan.

3. That his conversation and general deportment does not comport with that gravity, purity of language, and holy dignity of manners, becoming the gospel ministry.

4. That a thorough reform in Bro. Bostwick is necessary before he can be a proper "example to the flock," or "example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." 1 Tim. iv, 12.

We would in the language of the apostle's exhortation to young men, exhort our youthful Bro. Bostwick, "to be sober minded, in all things showing thyself a pattern of good works, in doctrine showing incorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you." Titus ii, 6-8.

That when he again enters upon the work of teaching the testing truth of God, it be after he becomes imbued with a high sense of the holiness and responsibility of the ministerial office, by humiliation, study of the word of God upon this subject, and reflection and prayer. And that he, ardently striving for those high and holy qualifications for the Christian ministry set forth in the word of God, prove himself before his brethren, and before the world, that he is worthy of the sacred office.

5. That Elder Isaac Sanborn has erred in encouraging Bro. Bostwick out into the gospel field, and also his tour to the General Conference, when his preaching brethren of the same Conference stood in great doubt of his qualification for the work.

JAMES WHITE, J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH, WM. S. INGRAHAM, ISAAC SANBORN.

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